The Most Intense Scene in Cinema History 

Whoever did audio engineering on this film deserves a major raise.

In order to feel tension you'll have to watch from the beginning because the whole movie is heart pumping

Lesson learned. If I ever find a bag full of money, I'll be sure to check for the transmitter

0:22 If you increase the volume, it will be possible to hear Anton killing the receptionist.

The creepiest thing is, we barely see Anton for most of this sequence. The most we get is his silhouette or muzzle flashes, but Anton is always some abstract presence to run away from. Only when Llewellyn gains the upper hand does Anton go from some invisible force of death to a human being who has to dive for cover.

Acting without words is ACTING and Brolin and Bardem killed it!

It's so smart that we don't even get a glimpse of Chigurh in this scene until the very end. Makes him seem more like a force of nature or a ghost than human being. Yet another clever trick used by Coen brothers to dehumanize him.

I love how him finding the tracking device seemed to give the audience a sense of relief, but then you realize that death has already been following him and it won’t stop until he finished his job.

The main reason Anton feels so scary is that they do a lot to make Llewelyn seem badass as well.

No music in the background. Nice and quiet. Scary.

First time I saw this movie I must have accidently hit the pause button on my dvd player at 2:29 and I was sat there for two minutes on the edge of my seat staring at that crack under the door before I realised it was paused, honest to God.

The shot at 3:21 is one of my favorites. You literally see Anton’s silhouette for one frame in the muzzle flash and then he’s gone. No noise from him whatsoever

I love the movies where both protagonist and antagonist are competent as hell. This scene is the best example of it.

2:52 if you listen extremely closely you can hear Chigurh unscrewing the lightbulb

You can even hear the counter telephone ringing downstairs as he's making the call. Brilliant.

I just noticed that when Lewellyn crashed the truck and left it, he deliberately closed the door behind him to make Anton unsure whether he had been shot and was still in the truck.

I think the lack of music in this movie actually helps make these scenes even more terrifying. The characters simply being alone in the dark, practically holding their breath listening for the slightest sound, it brings back memories of being a kid, thinking you heard something in the middle of the night and you sit up in bed and listen, it's that exact same tension.

Its weird how the three main characters don't formally share any scenes together.

The scary thing is there are people like Anton who do exist.

I love how Llewelyn realizes that running is not a good option and that he has to strike back. Great storytelling

It's not a horror film but it's the scariest movie I've ever seen.

Many years later and this film is still talked about. It's classic cinema.

AT 0:22 you can hear Anton shoot the front desk clerk. You may need earphones.

Im so glad my dad and i got to see this together before he passed away.....this movie was incredibly good 👍

The best use of sound I have ever heard in a film.

all of this just because he decided to go back and give that guy water

Just a little terrifying detail, Anton calmly unscrews a boiling hot lightbulb like it’s nothing lol, that shit would hurt

This movie is a prime example of taking source material and utilizing a new medium to improve it in every way. The filmmaking in this movie is just perfection

Always intense when it's a calm, quiet background without the scenes being disturbed with tacky ass music...

Considering what he was up against, Lewelyn handled himself pretty well

I like how even though Anton is portrayed as this badass inescapable psychopathic grim-reaper of death, he still leaps and scurries out of there like a cockroach when Llewellyn gains the upper hand. Really reminds everyone that no matter how badass a guy like Chigurh can be, bullets aren't just gonna bounce off of them.

The fact that this is set in 1980 makes it so much better. The lack of technology makes for a much more interesting plot. The main character also served 2 tours in Nam which makes him pretty badass.

"No country for old men" . This is probably the most coolest and fitting title I have seen for a movie .

The fact he ran back into the hotel is outstanding.

The sound design in this scene is incredible. The silenced shotgun and distant thud at 0:22, the empty ringing of the phone downstairs, the beeping of Shigurh's tracker as it gets closer, the click of the shotgun hammer, every floorboard creaked heavy breath. No soundtrack either. This is a brilliant cinematic sequence.

One of my favorite small details about this movie is that as far as I can remember Llewelyn and Anton never once see each other's faces. Really helps sell both that Anton represents death itself, and the lack of control Llewelyn has in evading it.

Anton Chigurh is a force of nature. He is like an enigma of chaos and destruction. The fact that he's barely seen in this scene adds to the ethereal quality of him as an adversary. He doesn't need to be seen, but the sense of danger he brings is more visible than he himself.

The tension in this movie hits different than any other. A recently heard that at first Javier Bardem wanted nothing to do with the role. And despite having a bunch of other options of great actors that were willing to take it the Cohen Brothers decided to pursue him further and convinced him to do it. Thank the cinema gods for that...

It's in the top 5 films of all time. Storyline, acting and cinematic filming. It needs a 4K Blu Ray with Dolby Atmos upgrade. It's a Treasure.

No Country for Old Men is one of the greatest movies of all time. Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh was a match made in heaven. No other actor could have played the role like he did.

I feel so bad for the dude driving the truck, homie had absolutely nothing to do with this and was still the only dude that died (brutally, I might add) just in the wrong place at the wrong time

This scene is one of the scariest scenes in film history. In a hotel room. Utter silence. You see a tracker in the case that tells you're about to die and you have to do something about it.

One of those legendary movies, that dont require billions of budget and CGI, to make you 100% focused on this intense Cinematography, literally was heavy breathing in the theater from just not knowing whats going to happen next. I remember later that day recommending all of my friends at the bar to watch this movie, because it was so good.

It really goes to show that the main character here is a veteran, he does so many things while his adrenaline is pumping that ordinary people would've jumped over in sheer panic. My favorite example is him closing the door on the truck instead of slamming it, most people would've left it open or slammed it and run away, but him knowing Anton was just around the corner, thought to slowly close it so it wouldn't sound like he got out of the truck, and having the chance to ambush him.

6:47 another detail i've just noticed, if you listen really closely, you can hear the footsteps of Chigurh running away

When Lewelyn fired the first shot at the door I’m pretty sure Anton knew he was going to have to take him more seriously considering the fact that Lewelyn was armed too

No words, no music, nothing..... But the tension is soo high you can imagine hearing his heart beating when he comes to the realization. Modern classic in my opinion.

Man, I still remember watching this scene in theaters. When Llewelyn turns the lamp off, everyone else in the theater became another shadow in the hotel room. It felt like I was just sitting there alone in my seat with Llewelyn, quietly waiting for Anton to blast through the door...though neither of us knew exactly when or how it would happen. No one even *coughed* once during that moment…and that’s saying something. Great movie. Seeing this reminds me that I should go see a movie in theaters again sometime.

Probably the most well made movie I've ever seen. Every shot is a masterpiece.

Love how you can hear the front desk phone ringing in the background while also ringing on the old landline in Llewellyn's ear, really increases the tension of the scene and shows just how alone and vulnerable he is.

Its funny how most horror movies don't scare me, yet this thriller did.

When you’re playing GTA and your rival goes off the radar

This was done so perfectly, i love how Moss adapts quickly. You'd think it would be very one sided with him getting demolished but he holds on his all the way through. Moss is incredibly smart and cunning

At 3:49, I thought it was odd how Anton missed for a reasonably close shot. You then see Llewelyn hold his gunshot wound which I originally thought he got from Anton's first shot when he jumped out the window. But what actually happened was that Anton didn't miss at ALL, the bullet just went straight through Llewelyn without him even realizing it because of the adrenaline. Very cool details.

Never noticed at 0:22 you can hear the suppressed shotgun and the guy fall over.

At 0:23 you hear the exact moment Anton killed the guy at the front. The subtle noises and things like that are another factor of making this movie phenomenal.

I wouldn't of been sitting directly across from that door

You know that guy is scary when Thanos runs away from him.

I'm glad the cat was ok.

Llewellyn going on the offensive at 6:39 and turning the tide of the battle was so badass. For a moment there the scary hunter Anton becomes the hunted by our very competent and capable protagonist

In the book, Llewelyn runs the shower in the bathroom and closes the bathroom door and then hides under the bed. He gets the drop on Chigurh (who thought he was in the shower) and actually makes him drop his weapon. He takes it and leaves, sparing Chigurh hoping that was enough to scare him off but Chigurh had a second gun and goes after him and then the rest of the scene shown here takes place.

I literally had a nightmare of chigurh after watching this. In the dream he took over the company I worked for. I woke up sweating Lol

Extra combat experience detail in this scene. Moss crashes the car on purpose to make Anton think he's still inside and wounded so that he can ambush him. Anton notices the bloody footprint which allows him to jump out the way in time.

One of my all time favorite movies bardem killed it both guys did

Gurney runs away from Stilgar

No cops in this town.

Everyone mentions the coin flipping scene, and that’s definitely scary and intense, but this scene had me much more scared and nervous It’s almost a relief when Chigurh pops the door open

The neck shot was the most brutal thing I've seen in a movie

What makes this scene chilling is the beginning gunshots from Anton. We know it’s Anton shooting but you don’t see him physically shooting. Almost like a ghost is hunting Llewelyn.

6:40 Always hate when characters in movies jump out of cover and start blasting the bad guy out in the open completely exposed, however in this specific instance it's a brilliant tactical move. He sees that Anton DROPS HIS GUN and makes a split second decision to lay down suppressive fire and close the gap to make damn sure Anton cannot reach for the gun without getting his hand blown off. I just love how something so simple as a gun being dropped changes this action from a dumb ass movie thing to an intelligent and believable decision. A lesser movie would not have had Anton drop the gun.

Anton had the advantage because he knew he was hunting one man and he knew his location. Llewelyn did not know how many people were hunting him and where they might be. As the hotel battle progressed, Llewelyn figured out that he was being hunted by one man. Upon realizing this, he decided to take a stand against Anton at the crash site and he almost got him.

I fully agree that this is a movie that must be watched in COMPLETE SILENCE. No talking, no distractions, not a sound. Or else so much will be missed in the experience!

I think Josh Brolin is a superb actor and will watch any movie that he is in. He also interviews very well and has a great sense of humor.

I love the shot of Brolin’s face as we hear the ‘zip’ of the suppressed gunfire and the clatter of the hotel attendant’s chair falling over. He knows something is up but he doesn’t have a full understanding of what he’s up against.

The dynamic between Moss and Anton is really fascinating when you break it down. Both men are shown to be extremely intelligent and tactical, and fairly evenly matched in their confrontations. Even before they meet, we get to see how thorough they are at analyzing situations and being efficient, whether it be Llewelyn tracking down the case of money or how he rents a second motel room, or how Anton examines a neighboring motel room to prepare for his attack on Moss’ and even removes his shoes to be silent. When one is a step ahead of the other, the other counters it, and they both think similarly. They even both pay characters for their shirts. During their fight, Moss tells the desk clerk to call him if anyone comes in. He checks the line and it’s dead, so he turns off his lights and looks for footsteps outside his door. Anton notices this and turns out the light in the hallway. So Moss sits upright with his gun aimed right at the door, but Anton busts in the lock and hits him with it. Moss jumps out the window and instead of running across the street, he doubles back through the lobby, but Anton anticipates this and gets a shot off on him. Moss tries to flee with the driver, but Anton takes him out. When Moss crashes the truck and gets out, he slowly shuts the door so Anton won’t hear it, making it look as though he’s still inside. He hides and manages to get the jump on Anton, but Anton saw the blood and was able to narrow evade the killshot and then he flees. During their fire fight they both take glancing injuries. I believe Moss could have held his own for quite a while against Anton if that cat and mouse chase persisted. It’s why Anton doesn’t just go kill him at the hospital and get the money. Carson told him roughly where it was. Moss shook him when he got the jump on him and injured his leg and Anton probably hasn’t had a challenge like that in a while. The inconvenience of having to treat his wounds probably made him furious. To make Anton acknowledge his own mortality, to make him feel pain. He fears that it wouldn’t be so easy to go after him. He needs to prove to himself that he’s better, but also use Carla Jean as collateral to insure his victory. He wants Moss to deliver him the money himself, probably to fuel his ego.

I remember really getting on the edge of my seat, when Anton was driving around looking for the tracker. And it started to beep faster when Lewelyn was in the motel. Then this scene happened. And I realized. I really, love this movie. The ending threw such a curveball. My ex and I were like "..That's it?" And she decided she wasn't a big fan of it. However. For awhile. I was stuck on that ending. How it just cut. And that was it. Started to do research. Found out why I love this movie more. So much symbolism. So much detail. An amazing film.

The sound design, acting, cinematography, and choreography in this scene is immaculate!

I remember my music teacher told me that silence is the most intense sound ever. I remember asking “But doesn’t silence mean that theres no sound at all? It wouldn’t be considered a sound if there’s a lack of it.” I didn’t understand what he was saying until i saw this movie. Silence (when used right) can make or break the entire direction or feeling of a scene or song. Silence is more like a “Sound of no sound” kind of thing

4:56 the sound that the bullets make when they breakthrough the car's windshield is epic!

I like the attention to detail with Moss’ stance with the shotgun as he slowly approached Anton’s last location. It shows that Moss has proper training from his time served in the Vietnam War.

If ever I find $2 million, I now know to look for tracking device 😂

the way anton was just firing at him so rapidly and accurately barely missing him each time was just terrifying in my opinion

One of my favorite things has always been that this movie makes the audience feel more engaged with actual audio and sounds instead of background music. It’s so much more immersive.

I don’t know what’s scarier Anton himself or his hairline

Josh and Javier lived their parts so well. The intensity of this scene is...intense

The lack of music brings focus: you feel his story as though you're living it yourself. Imagine his fear, realizing there's a tracker in that briefcase, and then piecing it together when the hotel operator fails to answer. You know you're being tracked by an intelligent and deadly killer, and you have seconds to make a decision. Holy shit!

When I first saw this movie I thought it was a horror movie. I felt more afraid of this movie than most horror movies that are even out. Seeing this in theaters was a very chilling experience, almost life changing.

There's only 3 times when i literally started breathing out of intensity while watching a scene 1. 1917 almost the whole movie 2. Dunkirk bombing on the beach 3. This Scene

The sound design is amazing. The silence, the steps, the tension is unbearable. Perfectly executed.

So much anxiety and adrenaline

Love how Chigurh ends up breaking his arm and stuck to rely on someone else. He is easily the most cleverly written and perfect villain in my opinion. Coen brothers did this story justice and honestly makes it a greater masterpiece than it is. So anyways Chigurh is perfect. He thinks of himself as death itself and that by chance only can you escape him. He tells Carla Jean to call it. When she explains that it's only him and not some force of chance. His entire character crumbles. He is off set by this confrontation that he's too distracted to pay attention to the road. When the accident occurs, he became mortaly wounded. Then you hear him say to the boys that helped him "Take it, and you didn't see me." Whoever sees Chigurh in his dark judgement winds up dead. Now his character is relying on his screwed up morals to keep his cool. So when he requires help, he gives the boys money, he needed them to take it or his entire character would fall apart. Coens Brothers man, they are genius.

The most intense scene was actually in shrek when he went across that bridge.

It is so amazing that the sound and also the lack of dialogue it is what makes this sequence so unique and unforgettable

Avengers 4: No Country for old Titans

Hats off to the sound guys who captured every rustle, wrinkle, crease, squeak, crack, slide and knock in this amazing film...

The most intense scene ever is Tommy committing suicide in "The Room"

those bullets Chigurh was sending through the windshield and the drivers face was mesmerizing lol

The pacing of this scene is incredible. The fact that he turns the light out right as we the audience think "Turn the light out!"

Atleast the cat's okay

Anton is honestly the reason this scene is so intense and scary. Any old ambush scene can be tense, but this one is truly terrifying because it's been established how efficient Anton is at killing people (when he killed the motel room full of Mexicans earlier in the film), and we get to see his full efficiency on display here but from the perspective of his prey instead, and it's chilling. You don't even see him or get the opportunity to fight back because he appears and disappears in the shadows. The only indication of his presence are the bullets whizzing at you, which is just frightening to think about.